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Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. With a population of about 7.2 million, the majority of whom are Jews, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. It is also home to Arab Muslims, Christians and Druze, as well as other religious and ethnic minority groups. Throughout the country can be found shrines and pilgrimage sites that are holy to all these religions. Jerusalem is the nation's capital, seat of government, and largest city. Literary note Most of Harry Turtledove's alternate history works have a point of divergence long before 1948. For the rough equivalent of Israel in such works, see Palestine. Israel in After the Downfall Seeing how the Grenye ran their country of Bucovin caused Hasso Pemsel to wonder what would happen if the Jews, whom the Grenye resembled, had a country of their own. Would Germans feel easy about fighting for it? He couldn't see how. Would Jews want Germans on their side? Possibly, considering that Germans, for all their faults, made some of the greatest soldiers ever born.After the Downfall, p. 254. Israel in Alpha and Omega In the 21st century, Israel was the site of an archaeological discovery that shook the world. Israel in Crosstime Traffic Israel was one of many entities suspected of detonating an atomic bomb in Damascus in 2033. By 2097, the question had still not been answered. Israel in The Guns of the South When President Robert E. Lee interviewed the captured Konrad de Buys, mastermind of the Richmond Massacre, the prisoner told him that America Will Break's new weapon was invented by an Israeli man. Lee was momentarily confused as to how the machine could have come from an Israelite, but brushed the matter aside because there were much more important issues at stake.The Guns of the South, p. 451. Israel in The Hot War Rolf Mehlen, a Waffen-SS veteran who fought for West Germany during World War III, was incensed by Israel's founding. When a Russian atomic bomb wrecked the Suez Canal, Rolf wished it had hit nearby Israel instead.Bombs Away, p. 304. Israel in "Les Mortes d'Arthur" By the late 22nd century, the Arab World had defeated Israel and the nation had ceased to exist. A nationalist movement, including the Second Irgun, had formed and sought the recreation of the state of Israel. Israel in "Next Year in Jerusalem" In the 21st Century, Israel was defeated by its enemies and ceased to exist as a nation. A nationalist movement, including the Second Irgun, had formed and sought the recreation of the state of Israel in the 22nd Century. To this end, members of the Second Irgun placed agents in Palestine with the mission of stirring up rebellion. Their attacks failed to produce the desired rebellion, and instead hurt their cause, as most of Palestine's Jews disavowed the organization, being horrified by the Irgun's brutality. Israel in Supervolcano Israel was perceived as weak and helpless after its traditional protector, the United States, was weakened by the Yellowstone Supervolcano eruption. Israel's traditional enemy Iran took this opportunity to launch a nuclear strike against Tel Aviv, yet Israel was able to retaliate doubly by bombing both Tehran and Qom.Eruption, p. 325. See also *Philistinia, a fictional nation in "Occupation Duty," which serves as a rough analog of the State of Israel in that timeline. References Israel Category:Next Year in Jerusalem Category:Countries in Asia Israel Israel Category:Former Countries (Fictional Work) Category:After the Downfall Category:Alpha and Omega Category:Crosstime Traffic Category:The Guns of the South Category:The Hot War Category:Supervolcano